Walter placed his two seabags on the porch and nervously knocked on the door to the house. The door swung upon to reveal Col. Potter looking exactly the same as the day Walter left for home all those years ago.

"Radar, it's mighty fine to see you, boy, mighty fine indeed." The Col. greeted as he pulled the younger man into a hug. A few slaps on the back and then Col. Potter pulled back to sling his arm around his shoulders instead. "Come on, Radar! I must introduce you to Mrs. Potter." Both men grabbed a bag and entered the house. "Mildred, dear, I would like to introduce to you one of the finest young men I have ever had the privilege of serving with, Radar O'Reilly."

"You, my lad, were the highlight of my husband's letters from that awful business in Korea. Now I know why they call you Radar, but under my roof there is no rank and none of that silly nickname tommyrot. I know you have a good Christian name your Mother gave you, so let's hear it."

"Oh yes, Ma'am. My Momma named me Walter after her Daddy." Radar told her nervously. She was more real than just reading her letters had made her. It was nice to put a face and voice to the person he had come to know through writing.

"Well then, let's get to supper! You must be hungry after traveling on those noisy, smelly military planes all day." Mildred said as she ushered them to the table.

"Mother has been very excited about your visit, son. She has been in that kitchen since we got your phone call. She is almost as excited as she was to hear we were getting a retirement posting!" Col. Potter told Walter.

"Retirement, sir?" Walter asked. " I thought you were transferring to Fort Sam Houston in the new year?"

Col. Potter carved the delicious looking roast and they all piled their plates with food as Mrs. Potter poured iced tea and water into the waiting glasses. Once they were all situated, conversation resumed.

"Well, yes, after a fashion I am both retiring and transferring. I am old, son. Too old for the Army. Normally the mandatory age of retirement is 60 years old." The Col. explained.. "That is why I said I had 18 months left when I arrived in Korea, but the Army has rules that state if you are vitally important in your job and can make the rank, you stay. I have been teaching command doctors how to do what we did in Korea: run a damn fine unit. The Army sees a need coming up for units like the 4077th, so I got to serve until I reached my 50th year in service and they get an old coot teaching the younguns how it all works. In the new year when the rank lists post, I will retire as a Brigadier General with one star on my shoulder and the whole outfit moves to Texas. They still want me to teach, they just can't justify having me in the military at my age. I am way too old to deploy and it is unfair to Mildred."

"Unfair to Mildred, indeed." Mrs. Potter huffed. "I had a lovely home in Missouri to retire to when the time came. My son Atticus and his wife Jeannie lived right down the street from us. Now Evelyn and Bob live in my house because we are to retire away from my grandbabies!" She sniffed a bit as she hid her face from view.

Walter still didn't know how to react when crying women were not related to him and couldn't be comforted with a hug, so he gently patted her hand where it lay on the table. "Oh, Mrs. Potter I'm so sorry they will be so far away. Maybe they can come stay for the summer. My cousins all came and helped out on the farm during the summers so their Moms and Dads could go to work and we got all the chores done quick like. You don't have a farm, but maybe the kids could help out on the base or around the neighborhood maybe. Maybe a couple of day trips or weekend trips. I know the Alamo is in Texas. Maybe that could be fun.. At least have them come see you for a bit."

Mrs. Potter turned to the Col. with joy shining in her eyes. "You said he had brilliant ideas, but that just takes the cake. It would save the kids finding childcare for the summer and the girls could keep their jobs at the hospital and the library. They do enjoy working." Mrs. Potter patted Radar's hand and smiled.

Col. Potter smacked the table with his hand. "Golly be, Radar! Being in the military so long we got used to a certain way of doing things. The adults doing the visiting and such. That is a mighty fine idea, indeed. Got all kinds of plans to make! Thank ye kindly, son!"

After supper Walter was sent to bed after all the traveling of the day. As Mrs. Potter washed the dishes and the Col. dried, they talked about Radar.

"That boy loves you, Sherman. He takes everything you say straight to heart. How did it come to be when you spent less than a year in that war with him?" Mrs. Potter asked her husband.

"Right as I can figure his Daddy had him late in life." The Col. explained. "Why, he once told me he gave his daddy a heart attack playing peek-a-boo! He died when Radar was real young, three or four, thereabouts. His uncle, Ed or Ned or something, was his Momma's brother and ran the farm until he passed as well. Seemed to me like he was always out on the farm and didn't have a lot of time for the boy. Working farms are like that if they don't have people to work 'em. He has a cousin, a far older brother, and a lad from Korea on the farm now, as well as all three of their wives for family, but nothing in the way of parents left." He said as they finished tidying the kitchen.

"I don't mean to discount the people back on the farm that he does have, dear. I just think he need somebody to talk things through with. To give advice and tell him they are proud of what he is doing." Mildred told the Col.

"Oh, you just want someone else to spoil!" Sherman Potter accused his wife. "You can write all the letters you want to Radar and Klinger and I will do the same!"

Satisfied with the outcome of the conversation, both parties went to bed planning for a future that included their new son, Walter.

The next morning after Col. Potter had gone to work Mildred asked Walter to help her in the kitchen. They spent hours talking about old postings, life in the Army, Walter's family, dreams for the future, and anything else they could think of. They baked up a storm! Pies, cakes, cookies, brownies, and more. Mrs. Potter packed him a large sack lunch and filled him with tea and treats before he left as well. "You will always be welcome in our home, Walter dear. Stop by anytime," she told him as Radar left for the last leg of his journey. She hugged him and sent him on his way with his lunch and two very large tins of treats to share when he arrived.

Walter dragged his increasingly large load of luggage in to the office the secretary opened for him and set it to the side of the door. He turned to face the Superintendent, Commandant of Midshipmen, and the Academic Dean. "I'm not quite sure how to greet you here, sirs. In the past I would have saluted, but as this meeting is to decide the future of my military career, I am at a loss." He stepped forward with his hand extended. "I'm Walter O'Reilly, former First Sergeant in the Army and current Marine Corps hopeful."

This prompted a laugh from all three men. The officer behind the desk rose when it was his turn to shake hands. "That certainly works for me, son. I have heard great things from my contacts who served overseas in Korea. Your file is an exceptional example of what the future of the military needs. The Lt. who contacted us on your behalf has a knack for backing men who go on to have exemplary careers. For my part, I have no objections to your induction into the academy."

The other officer present nodded his agreement. Radar had thought he was the Commandant of Midshipmen if the man behind the desk was the Superintendent. "All I need to do is have your letters of recommendation all duplicated for your file with that blasted Verifax machine and we should be ready to go. Because of your previous service, the Marine Corps is going to offer you the rank of 1st Lt. upon completion of the academy, instead of 2nd Lt as is standard. We do this for all those who serve in the military or quasi military service like the Civil Air Patrol or Eagle Scouts. Your time in rank and grade should have you up for your first promotion after a year. We do appreciate everything you did when you served in the Army, so we need you to serve in a leadership role here throughout your years. Kinda be an example to those just starting out. Nothing too difficult, just help them adjust to life here. The older midshipmen will be in charge, but consider yourself an NCO(Non Commissioned Officer)."

That made a lot of sense to Walter. If he had done the time, he got the reward. He worked hard for his rank, after all. He turned his attention to the final man in the room, the Academic Dean.

"Your high school transcripts look really good, son. Not a lot of athletic extracurricular, but I'm told you grew up on a farm so I think you know how to sweat. I see you took a writing correspondence course while you were in Korea, very good. That means you have a course credit already!" The man continued to pore over the file in front of him. After a bit, he must have been satisfied because he closed the file and slapped it on the table. "With all the learning you had to do for each of your many MOS, I don't see any problem with you fitting in academically here. In fact, this may be a bit too easy for you. Should be loads of fun though!"

The Superintendent behind his desk clapped his hands together once, then rubbed them back and forth a few times. "Since we are all in agreement, it falls to me to have the pleasure of welcoming you to the Naval Academy's class of 1959." He handed a few forms across the desk. "Welcome to the Brigade of Midshipmen, Walter O'Reilly."